England dig in to stall Australian victory push

PERTH, Dec 17 (Reuters) Ian Bell and Alastair Cook made fighting half-centuries as England fought desperately to save the third test against Australia and keep the Ashes series alive today.

Bell made 87 and Cook 80 not out to stall Australia's relentless push for victory and reach 180 for two in their second innings at tea after starting the fourth day on 19 for one.

Bell, who came to the crease late yesterday when Andrew Strauss departed for a fourth-ball duck, batted almost four hours before driving Shane Warne straight to Justin Langer at short extra cover.

Cook survived a few close shaves with the master leg spinner to complete his maiden half-century of the series and Paul Collingwood was unbeaten on four at the end of the middle session.

Australia set England a world-record target of 557 to win the match but the tourists were more intent on survival than frantically chasing quick runs.

After losing the first two matches in Brisbane and Adelaide, England need to salvage a draw at the WACA to keep the series alive heading into the fourth test in Melbourne on December 26.

Bell made amends for his first-innings duck to post his third half-century of the series, mixing defence and aggression to strike eight fours and two sixes.

With the Australians able to set an attacking field in the pursuit of quick wickets and with a massive total to defend, England's batsmen were able to get full value for any shots that beat the infield.

Bell twice hoisted Warne over the ropes and raised his 50 off 83 balls in 131 minutes when he charged down the pitch and smashed him to the cover boundary.

But Warne, who bowled 24 overs unchanged after being introduced to the attack before lunch, eventually got his man with the total on 170 to lift his tally to 696 test wickets and closer to becoming the first player to claim 700.

After failing to reach 50 in his five previous innings in the series, the left-handed Cook was content to play the anchorman role.

The Essex batsman, who turns 22 on Christmas Day, survived a series of loud appeals from Warne to reach his half-century from 129 deliveries with a boundary off an inside edge.

He hit eight fours to get within sight of a hundred.

Collingwood looms as a decisive player in England's chances of batting through the last four sessions to salvage a draw after demonstrating his ability to occupy the crease for long periods when he became the first Englishman in 70 years to makea double-hundred in Australia with his 206 in Adelaide.

REUTERS SAM RN1333